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{{short description|Cosmological phenomenon}} | |||
{{cosmology}} | {{cosmology}} | ||
]. The timeline in this schematic diagram extends from the ]/inflation era 13.8 billion years ago to the present cosmological time.]] | |||
] show that the ] is ], such that the ] at which a distant ] recedes from the observer is continuously increasing with time.<ref name="NYT-20170220">{{cite news |last=Overbye |first=Dennis |author-link=Dennis Overbye |title=Cosmos Controversy: The Universe Is Expanding, but How Fast? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/20/science/hubble-constant-universe-expanding-speed.html |date=20 February 2017 |work=] |access-date=21 February 2017 }}</ref><ref name="AM-20170818">{{cite web |last=Scharping |first=Nathaniel |title=Gravitational Waves Show How Fast The Universe is Expanding |url=http://www.astronomy.com/news/2017/10/gravitational-waves-show-how-fast-the-universe-is-expanding |date=18 October 2017 |website=] |access-date=18 October 2017 }}</ref><ref name="ES-20180311">{{cite web |last1=Weaver |first1=Donna |last2=Villard |first2=Ray |title=Measuring universe expansion reveals mystery – Is something unpredicted going on in the depths of space? |url=http://earthsky.org/space/measuring-universe-expansion-reveals-mystery |date=11 March 2018 |website=] |access-date=11 March 2018 }}</ref> The accelerated expansion of the ] was discovered in 1998 by two independent projects, the ] and the ], which used distant ] to measure the acceleration.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15165371 |title=Nobel physics prize honours accelerating universe find |work=BBC News |date=2011-10-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2011/ |title=The Nobel Prize in Physics 2011 |publisher=Nobelprize.org |access-date=2011-10-06}}</ref><ref name="peebles">{{cite journal |author=Peebles |first1=P. J. E. |last2=Ratra |first2=Bharat |s2cid=118961123 |title=The cosmological constant and dark energy |year=2003 |journal=Reviews of Modern Physics |arxiv=astro-ph/0207347 |volume=75 |issue=2 |pages=559–606 |doi=10.1103/RevModPhys.75.559 |bibcode=2003RvMP...75..559P}}</ref> The idea was that as type Ia supernovae have almost the same intrinsic brightness (a ]), and since objects that are further away appear dimmer, the observed brightness of these supernovae can be used to measure the distance to them. The distance can then be compared to the supernovae's cosmological ], which measures how much the universe has expanded since the supernova occurred; the ] established that the further away an object is, the faster it is receding. The unexpected result was that objects in the universe are moving away from one another at an accelerating rate. Cosmologists at the time expected that recession velocity would always be decelerating, due to the gravitational attraction of the matter in the universe. Three members of these two groups have subsequently been awarded ]s for their discovery.<ref>{{cite book |title=Cosmology |first=Steven |last=Weinberg |publisher=Oxford University Press |date=2008 |isbn=9780198526827}}</ref> Confirmatory evidence has been found in ], and in analyses of the clustering of galaxies. | |||
The accelerated expansion of the universe is thought to have begun since the universe entered its ] roughly 5 billion years ago.<ref name="Frieman">{{Cite journal |last1=Frieman |first1=Joshua A. |last2=Turner |first2=Michael S. |last3=Huterer |first3=Dragan |s2cid=15117520 |year=2008 |title=Dark Energy and the Accelerating Universe |journal=] |volume=46 |issue=1 |pages=385–432 |arxiv=0803.0982 |bibcode=2008ARA&A..46..385F |doi=10.1146/annurev.astro.46.060407.145243}}</ref>{{refn |1=<ref name="Frieman" /> Frieman, Turner & Huterer (2008) p. 6: "The Universe has gone through three distinct eras: radiation-dominated, {{math|''z'' ≳ 3000}}; matter-dominated, {{math|3000 ≳ ''z'' ≳ 0.5}}; and dark-energy-dominated, {{math|''z'' ≲ 0.5}}. The evolution of the scale factor is controlled by the dominant energy form: {{math|''a''(''t'') ∝ ''t''<sup>2/(3(1 + ''w''))</sup>}} (for constant {{mvar|w}}). During the radiation-dominated era, {{math|''a''(''t'') ∝ ''t''<sup>1/2</sup>}}; during the matter-dominated era, {{math|''a''(''t'') ∝ ''t''<sup>2/3</sup>}}; and for the dark energy-dominated era, assuming {{math|''w'' {{=}} −1}}, asymptotically {{math|''a''(''t'') ∝ exp(''Ht'')}}."<br /> | |||
The '''accelerating universe''' is the observation that the universe appears to be expanding at an increasing rate. In 1998 observations of ] suggested that the expansion of the ] is accelerating.<ref> | |||
p. 44: "Taken together, all the current data provide strong evidence for the existence of dark energy; they constrain the fraction of critical density contributed by dark energy, 0.76 ± 0.02, and the equation-of-state parameter, {{mvar|w}} ≈ −1 ± 0.1 (stat) ± 0.1 (sys), assuming that {{mvar|w}} is constant. This implies that the Universe began accelerating at redshift {{math|''z'' ~}} 0.4 and age {{math|''t'' ~}} 10 Gyr. These results are robust – data from any one method can be removed without compromising the constraints – and they are not substantially weakened by dropping the assumption of spatial flatness."|group="notes"}} | |||
]. and ], "A study of 42 type Ia supernovae and a resulting measurement of Omega(M) and Omega(Lambda)", ]-Review section of Physics Letters 307 (1-4): 325-331 Dec. 1998 </ref><ref> | |||
Within the framework of ], an accelerated expansion can be accounted for by a positive value of the ] {{mvar|Λ}}, equivalent to the presence of a positive ], dubbed "]". While there are alternative possible explanations, the description assuming dark energy (positive {{mvar|Λ}}) is used in the standard model of ], which also includes ] (CDM) and is known as the ]. | |||
Garnavich PM, Kirshner RP, Challis P, et al. | |||
"Constraints on cosmological models from Hubble Space Telescope observations of high-z supernovae" | |||
] 493 (2): L53+ Part 2 Feb. 1 1998 </ref> | |||
== |
==Background== | ||
{{Nature timeline}} | |||
In the past few years, these observations have been corroborated by several independent sources: the ]<ref name="Wang 2006">{{arxiv|archive=astro-ph|id=0604051v2}}</ref>, ]{{Fact|date=October 2007}}, ]{{Fact|date=October 2007}} and ]{{Fact|date=October 2007}}, as well as improved measurements of the ]e.<ref name="Leibundgut"> | |||
{{Further|Cosmological constant|Lambda-CDM model|Hubble's law|Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker metric|Friedmann equations}} | |||
{{cite journal | author=B. Leibundgut, J. Sollerman | |||
In the decades since the detection of ] (CMB) in 1965,<ref name="Penzias&Wilson">{{cite journal |last1=Penzias |first1=A. A. |last2=Wilson |first2=R. W. |date=1965 |title=A Measurement of Excess Antenna Temperature at 4080 Mc/s |journal=] |volume=142 |issue=1 |pages=419–421 |bibcode=1965ApJ...142..419P |doi=10.1086/148307|doi-access=free }}</ref> the ] model has become the most accepted model explaining the evolution of our universe. The ] defines how the ] in the universe drives its expansion. | |||
| title=A cosmological surprise: the universe accelerates | |||
| journal=Europhysics News | |||
| year=2001 | volume=32 | issue=4 | |||
| url=http://www.eso.org/~bleibund/papers/EPN/epn.html | |||
| accessdate = 2007-02-01 | doi=10.1051/epn:2001401 | pages=121 }} | |||
</ref><ref name="CNRS"> | |||
{{cite news | title=Confirmation of the accelerated expansion of the Universe | |||
| publisher=] | |||
| date=September 19, 2003 | |||
| url=http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/45.htm?&debut=160xt/ | |||
| accessdate=2006-11-03 }} | |||
</ref> | |||
:<math> H^2={\left ( \frac{\dot{a}}{a} \right )}^2=\frac{8{\pi}G}{3}\rho-\frac{{\kappa}c^2}{a^2} </math> | |||
==Density drops== | |||
where {{mvar|κ}} represents the ], {{math|''a''(''t'')}} is the ], {{mvar|ρ}} is the total energy density of the universe, and {{mvar|H}} is the ].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nemiroff |first1=Robert J. |author-link1=Robert J. Nemiroff |last2=Patla |first2=Bijunath |s2cid=51782808 |title=Adventures in Friedmann cosmology: A detailed expansion of the cosmological Friedmann equations |journal=American Journal of Physics |volume=76 |issue=3 |pages=265–276 |doi=10.1119/1.2830536 |arxiv=astro-ph/0703739 |bibcode=2008AmJPh..76..265N |year=2008}}</ref> | |||
The ] is defined as | |||
An expanding universe means that density drops due to continual space being added between all matter. If acceleration continues, eventually all galaxies beyond our own ] will ] so far that it will become hard to detect them, and the distant universe will turn dark. | |||
:<math> \rho_c=\frac{3H^2}{8{\pi}G} </math> | |||
and the ] | |||
:<math> \Omega=\frac{\rho}{\rho_c} </math> | |||
The Hubble parameter can then be rewritten as | |||
:<math> H(a)=H_0 \sqrt{{\Omega_ka^{-2} + \Omega}_ma^{-3} + \Omega_ra^{-4} + \Omega_\mathrm{DE}a^{-3(1+w)}} </math> | |||
where the four currently hypothesized contributors to the energy density of the universe are ], ], ] and ].<ref name=Bassett>{{cite book |last=Lapuente |first=P. |chapter=Baryon Acoustic Oscillations |title=Dark Energy: Observational and Theoretical Approaches |location=Cambridge, UK |publisher=Cambridge University Press |date=2010 |isbn=978-0521518888|bibcode=2010deot.book.....R }}</ref> Each of the components decreases with the expansion of the universe (increasing scale factor), except perhaps the dark energy term. It is the values of these cosmological parameters which physicists use to determine the acceleration of the universe. | |||
The ] describes the evolution of the scale factor with time | |||
:<math> \frac{\ddot{a}}{a}=-\frac{4{\pi}G}{3}\left( \rho + \frac{3P}{c^2} \right) </math> | |||
where the ] {{mvar|P}} is defined by the cosmological model chosen. (see ]) | |||
Physicists at one time were so assured of the deceleration of the universe's expansion that they introduced a so-called ] {{math|''q''<sub>0</sub>}}.<ref name="Ryden">{{cite book |last=Ryden |first=Barbara |title=Introduction to Cosmology |date=2003 |publisher=Addison Wesley |isbn=978-0-8053-8912-8 |location=San Francisco, California |pages=103 |language=en-us}}</ref> Recent observations indicate this deceleration parameter is negative. | |||
===Relation to inflation=== | |||
According to the theory of ], the very early universe underwent a period of very rapid, quasi-exponential expansion. While the time-scale for this period of expansion was far shorter than that of the existing expansion, this was a period of accelerated expansion with some similarities to the current epoch. | |||
===Technical definition=== | |||
The definition of "accelerating expansion" is that the second time derivative of the cosmic scale factor, <math> \ddot{a} </math>, is positive, which is equivalent to the ], <math>q</math>, being negative. However, note this does '''not''' imply that the ] is increasing with time. Since the Hubble parameter is defined as <math> H(t) \equiv \dot{a}(t) / a(t) </math>, it follows from the definitions that the derivative of the Hubble parameter is given by | |||
:<math> \frac{dH}{dt} = -H^2(1 + q) </math> | |||
so the Hubble parameter is decreasing with time unless <math> q < -1 </math>. Observations prefer <math> q \approx -0.55 </math>, which implies that <math> \ddot{a} </math> is positive but <math> dH/dt </math> is negative. Essentially, this implies that the cosmic recession velocity of any one particular galaxy is increasing with time, but its velocity/distance ratio is still decreasing; thus different galaxies expanding across a sphere of fixed radius cross the sphere more slowly at later times. | |||
It is seen from above that the case of "zero acceleration/deceleration" corresponds to <math> a(t)</math> is a linear function of <math>t</math>, <math> q = 0 </math>, <math> \dot{a} = const</math>, and <math> H(t) = 1/t </math>. | |||
==Evidence for acceleration== | |||
The rate of expansion of the universe can be analyzed using the ]-redshift relationship of astronomical objects using ], or their distance-redshift relationship using ]s. Also a factor is the growth of ], finding that the observed values of the cosmological parameters are best described by models which include an accelerating expansion. | |||
===Supernova observation=== | |||
] | |||
In 1998, the first evidence for acceleration came from the observation of ]e, which are exploding ] stars that have exceeded their ]. Because they all have similar masses, their intrinsic ] can be standardized. Repeated imaging of selected areas of the sky is used to discover the supernovae, then follow-up observations give their peak brightness, which is converted into a quantity known as luminosity distance (see ] for details).<ref>{{cite arXiv |last1=Albrecht|first1=Andreas |display-authors=etal |title=Report of the Dark Energy Task Force |date=2006 |eprint=astro-ph/0609591}}</ref> ]s of their light can be used to determine their ]. | |||
For supernovae at redshift less than around 0.1, or light travel time less than 10 percent of the age of the universe, this gives a nearly linear distance–redshift relation due to ]. At larger distances, since the expansion rate of the universe has changed over time, the distance-redshift relation deviates from linearity, and this deviation depends on how the expansion rate has changed over time. The full calculation requires computer integration of the Friedmann equation, but a simple derivation can be given as follows: the redshift {{mvar|z}} directly gives the ] at the time the supernova exploded. | |||
:<math> a(t)=\frac{1}{1+z} </math> | |||
So a supernova with a measured redshift {{math|''z'' {{=}} 0.5}} implies the universe was {{sfrac|1|1 + 0.5}} = {{sfrac|2|3}} of its present size when the supernova exploded. In the case of accelerated expansion, <math> \ddot{a} </math> is positive; therefore, <math> \dot{a} </math> was smaller in the past than today. Thus, an accelerating universe took a longer time to expand from 2/3 to 1 times its present size, compared to a non-accelerating universe with constant <math> \dot{a} </math> and the same present-day value of the Hubble constant. This results in a larger light-travel time, larger distance and fainter supernovae, which corresponds to the actual observations. ] ''et al.'' found that "the distances of the high-redshift SNe Ia were, on average, 10% to 15% further than expected in a low mass density {{math|''Ω''<sub>M</sub> {{=}} 0.2}} universe without a cosmological constant".<ref name=Riess>{{cite journal |last1=Riess |first1=Adam G. |s2cid=15640044 |display-authors=etal |title=Observational Evidence from Supernovae for an Accelerating Universe and a Cosmological Constant |journal=The Astronomical Journal |volume=116 |issue=3 |pages=1009–1038 |year=1998 |doi=10.1086/300499 |bibcode=1998AJ....116.1009R |arxiv=astro-ph/9805201 }}</ref> This means that the measured high-redshift distances were too large, compared to nearby ones, for a decelerating universe.<ref name=Pain>{{cite journal |last1=Pain |first1=Reynald |last2=Astier |first2=Pierre |s2cid=119301091 |title=Observational evidence of the accelerated expansion of the Universe |journal=Comptes Rendus Physique |volume=13 |issue=6 |pages=521–538 |arxiv=1204.5493 |doi=10.1016/j.crhy.2012.04.009 |date=2012 |bibcode=2012CRPhy..13..521A |citeseerx=10.1.1.747.3792}}</ref> | |||
Several researchers have questioned the majority opinion on the acceleration or the assumption of the "]" (that the universe is homogeneous and isotropic).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lawton |first1=Thomas |date=April 30, 2022 |title=Controversial claim that the universe is skewed could upend cosmology |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25433840-900-controversial-claim-that-the-universe-is-skewed-could-upend-cosmology/ |journal=New Scientist}}</ref> For example, a 2019 paper analyzed the ] catalog of Type Ia supernovas, containing ten times as many supernova as were used in the 1998 analyses, and concluded that there was little evidence for a "monopole", that is, for an isotropic acceleration in all directions.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Jacques |last1=Colin|first2= Roya|last2= Mohayaee|first3= Mohamed |last3=Rameez|first4= Subir|last4= Sarkar |title=Evidence for anisotropy of cosmic acceleration⋆ |journal=Astronomy & Astrophysics |date=Nov 2019 |volume=631 |pages=L13 |doi=10.1051/0004-6361/201936373 |arxiv=1808.04597 |bibcode=2019A&A...631L..13C |s2cid=208175643 |url=https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2019/11/aa36373-19/aa36373-19.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sarkar |first1=Subir |date=Mar 2022 |title=Heart of Darkness |url=https://inference-review.com/article/heart-of-darkness |journal=Inference |volume=6 |issue=4 |doi=10.37282/991819.22.21 |s2cid=247890823 |doi-access=free}}</ref> See also the section on ] below. | |||
===Baryon acoustic oscillations=== | |||
{{Main|Baryon acoustic oscillations}} | |||
In the early universe before ] and ] took place, ]s and matter existed in a ]. Points of higher density in the photon-baryon plasma would contract, being compressed by gravity until the pressure became too large and they expanded again.<ref name=Ryden/> This contraction and expansion created vibrations in the plasma analogous to ]. Since ] only interacts ], it stayed at the centre of the sound wave, the origin of the original overdensity. When decoupling occurred, approximately 380,000 years after the Big Bang,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hinshaw |first1=G. |s2cid=3629998 |year=2009 |title=Five-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Data Processing, Sky Maps, and Basic Results |doi=10.1088/0067-0049/180/2/225 |journal=Astrophysical Journal Supplement |volume=180 |issue=2 |pages=225–245 |arxiv=0803.0732 |bibcode=2009ApJS..180..225H }}</ref> photons separated from matter and were able to ] through the universe, creating the ] as we know it. This left shells of ] at a fixed radius from the overdensities of dark matter, a distance known as the sound horizon. As time passed and the universe expanded, it was at these inhomogeneities of matter density where galaxies started to form. So by looking at the distances at which galaxies at different redshifts tend to cluster, it is possible to determine a standard ] and use that to compare to the distances predicted by different cosmological models. | |||
Peaks have been found in the correlation function (the probability that two galaxies will be a certain distance apart) at {{nowrap|100 ''h''<sup>−1</sup> ]}},<ref name=Bassett/> (where ''h'' is the ]) indicating that this is the size of the sound horizon today, and by comparing this to the sound horizon at the time of decoupling (using the CMB), we can confirm the accelerated expansion of the universe.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Eisenstein |first1=Daniel J. |s2cid=4834543 |display-authors=etal |title=Detection of the Baryon Acoustic Peak in the Large-Scale Correlation Function of SDSS Luminous Red Galaxies |journal=The Astrophysical Journal |year=2005 |volume=633 |issue=2 |pages=560–574 |doi=10.1086/466512 |bibcode=2005ApJ...633..560E |arxiv=astro-ph/0501171 }}</ref> | |||
===Clusters of galaxies=== | |||
Measuring the mass functions of ]s, which describe the ] of the clusters above a threshold mass, also provides evidence for dark energy {{explain|date=March 2018}}.<ref>{{cite book |last=Dekel |first=Avishai |title=Formation of Structure in the Universe |date=1999 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9780521586320 |location=New York, New York}}</ref> By comparing these mass functions at high and low redshifts to those predicted by different cosmological models, values for {{mvar|w}} and {{mvar|Ω<sub>m</sub>}} are obtained which confirm a low matter density and a non-zero amount of dark energy.<ref name=Pain/> | |||
===Age of the universe=== | |||
{{See also|Age of the universe}} | |||
Given a cosmological model with certain values of the cosmological density parameters, it is possible to integrate the ] and derive the age of the universe. | |||
:<math> t_0=\int_{0}^{1}\frac{da}{\dot{a}} </math> | |||
By comparing this to actual measured values of the cosmological parameters, we can confirm the validity of a model which is accelerating now, and had a slower expansion in the past.<ref name=Pain/> | |||
===Gravitational waves as standard sirens=== | |||
Recent discoveries of ]s through ] and ]<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|author1=((The LIGO Scientific Collaboration and The Virgo Collaboration))|author2=((The 1M2H Collaboration))|author3=((The Dark Energy Camera GW-EM Collaboration and the DES Collaboration))|author4=((The DLT40 Collaboration))|author5=((The Las Cumbres Observatory Collaboration))|author6=((The VINROUGE Collaboration))|author7=((The MASTER Collaboration))|s2cid=205261622|date=2017-11-02|title=A gravitational-wave standard siren measurement of the Hubble constant|url=http://man.ac.uk/g4Y4sF|journal=Nature|volume=551|issue=7678|pages=85–88|arxiv=1710.05835|bibcode=2017Natur.551...85A|doi=10.1038/nature24471|issn=0028-0836|pmid=29094696}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Abbott |first1=B. P. |s2cid=119286014 |collaboration=LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration |date=2016-02-11 |title=Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger |journal=Physical Review Letters |volume=116 |issue=6 |pages=061102 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.061102 |pmid=26918975 |arxiv=1602.03837 |bibcode=2016PhRvL.116f1102A}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=ur Rahman |first=Syed Faisal |date=2018-04-01 |title=Where next for the expanding universe? |journal=Astronomy & Geophysics |language=en |volume=59 |issue=2 |pages=2.39–2.42 |doi=10.1093/astrogeo/aty088 |issn=1366-8781 |bibcode=2018A&G....59b2.39F}}</ref> not only confirmed Einstein's predictions but also opened a new window into the universe. These gravitational waves can work as sort of ]s to measure the expansion rate of the universe. Abbot et al. 2017 measured the Hubble constant value to be approximately 70 kilometres per second per megaparsec.<ref name=":0" /> The amplitudes of the strain 'h' is dependent on the masses of the objects causing waves, distances from observation point and gravitational waves detection frequencies. The associated distance measures are dependent on the cosmological parameters like the Hubble Constant for nearby objects<ref name=":0" /> and will be dependent on other cosmological parameters like the dark energy density, matter density, etc. for distant sources.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rosado |first1=Pablo A. |last2=Lasky |first2=Paul D. |last3=Thrane |first3=Eric |last4=Zhu |first4=Xingjiang |last5=Mandel |first5=Ilya |last6=Sesana |first6=Alberto |s2cid=8736504 |year=2016 |title=Detectability of Gravitational Waves from High-Redshift Binaries |journal=Physical Review Letters |volume=116 |issue=10 |pages=101102 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.101102 |pmid=27015470 |arxiv=1512.04950 |bibcode=2016PhRvL.116j1102R}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> | |||
==Explanatory models== | ==Explanatory models== | ||
] | |||
===Dark energy=== | |||
Models attempting to explain accelerating expansion include some form of ]: ], ], or ], with the latest ] data favouring the cosmological constant. The most important property of dark energy is that it has negative ] which is distributed relatively ] in space. | |||
{{Main|Dark energy}} | |||
The most important property of dark energy is that it has negative pressure (repulsive action) which is distributed relatively homogeneously in space. | |||
:<math> P=wc^2\rho </math> | |||
==Divergent expansion== | |||
where {{mvar|c}} is the speed of light and {{mvar|ρ}} is the energy density. Different theories of dark energy suggest different values of {{mvar|w}}, with {{math|''w'' < −{{sfrac|1|3}}}} for cosmic acceleration (this leads to a positive value of {{mvar|ä}} in the ] above). | |||
] in a scenario known as the ] causes an exponentially increasing ''divergent'' expansion, which overcomes the gravitation of the local group and tears apart our ], it then tears apart the ], our ], and finally even atoms. Measurements of acceleration are thought crucial to determining the ], however we should expect the implications of such a major discovery to develop slowly over many years in the same way the big bang model has continued to develop. | |||
The simplest explanation for dark energy is that it is a cosmological constant or ]; in this case {{math|''w'' {{=}} −1}}. This leads to the ], which has generally been known as the Standard Model of Cosmology from 2003 through the present, since it is the simplest model in good agreement with a variety of recent observations. Riess ''et al.'' found that their results from supernova observations favoured expanding models with positive cosmological constant ({{math|''Ω<sub>λ</sub>'' > 0}}) and an accelerated expansion ({{math|''q''<sub>0</sub> < 0}}).<ref name=Riess/> | |||
===Dark energy dominates=== | |||
===Phantom energy=== | |||
As the Universe expands, the density of ] declines more quickly than the density of ] (see ]) and, eventually, the dark energy dominates. Specifically, when the volume of the universe doubles, the density of dark matter is halved but the density of dark energy is nearly unchanged (it is exactly constant for a cosmological constant). | |||
{{Main|Phantom energy}} | |||
These observations allow the possibility of a cosmological model containing a dark energy component with equation of state {{math|''w'' < −1}}. This phantom energy density would become infinite in finite time, causing such a huge gravitational repulsion that the universe would lose all structure and end in a ].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Caldwell |first1=Robert |last2=Kamionkowski |first2=Marc |last3=Weinberg |first3=Nevin |s2cid=119498512 |title=Phantom Energy: Dark Energy with {{math |''w'' < −1}} Causes a Cosmic Doomsday |journal=Physical Review Letters |volume=91 |issue=7 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.071301 |bibcode=2003PhRvL..91g1301C |pmid=12935004 |date=August 2003 |pages=071301 |arxiv=astro-ph/0302506 }}</ref> For example, for {{math|''w'' {{=}} −{{sfrac|3|2}}}} and {{math|''H''<sub>0</sub>}} =70 km·s<sup>−1</sup>·Mpc<sup>−1</sup>, the time remaining before the universe ends in this Big Rip is 22 billion years.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Caldwell |first1=R. R. |s2cid=9820570 |title=A phantom menace? Cosmological consequences of a dark energy component with super-negative equation of state |journal=Physics Letters B |volume=545 |issue=1–2 |year=2002 |pages=23–29 |doi=10.1016/S0370-2693(02)02589-3 |arxiv=astro-ph/9908168 |bibcode=2002PhLB..545...23C }}</ref> | |||
===Alternative theories=== | |||
==See also== | |||
{{See also|Dark energy#Theories of dark energy}} | |||
There are many alternative explanations for the accelerating universe. Some examples are ], a proposed form of dark energy with a non-constant state equation, whose density decreases with time. A ] cosmology does not assume that the mass density of the universe is positive (as is done in supernova observations), and instead finds a negative cosmological constant. ] also suggests that this is the 'more parsimonious hypothesis'.<ref name="EA-20181205">{{cite web |author=University of Oxford |title=Bringing balance to the universe: New theory could explain missing 95 percent of the cosmos |url=https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-12/uoo-bbt120318.php |date=5 December 2018 |work=] |access-date=6 December 2018 |author-link=University of Oxford }}</ref><ref name="ARX-2018">{{cite journal |last=Farnes |first=J.S. |s2cid=53600834 |title=A Unifying Theory of Dark Energy and Dark Matter: Negative Masses and Matter Creation within a Modified ΛCDM Framework |journal=Astronomy & Astrophysics |volume=620 |pages=A92 |arxiv=1712.07962 |year=2018 |doi=10.1051/0004-6361/201832898 |bibcode=2018A&A...620A..92F }}</ref> ] is an alternative explanation for accelerating expansion which attempts to unite dark matter and dark energy into a single framework.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Anaelle |last1=Halle |first2=Hongsheng |last2=Zhao |first3=Baojiu |last3=Li |s2cid=14155129 |date=2008 |title=Perturbations in a non-uniform dark energy fluid: equations reveal effects of modified gravity and dark matter |arxiv=0711.0958 |doi=10.1086/587744 |journal=Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series |volume=177 |issue=1 |pages=1–13 |bibcode=2008ApJS..177....1H }}</ref> Alternatively, some authors have argued that the accelerated expansion of the universe could be due to a repulsive ]<ref name="benoit-levy">{{cite journal |first1=A. |last1=Benoit-Lévy |first2=G. |last2=Chardin |s2cid=119232871 |url=http://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2012/01/aa16103-10/aa16103-10.html |title=Introducing the Dirac–Milne universe |journal=Astronomy and Astrophysics |volume=537 |issue=78 |page=A78 |year=2012 |doi=10.1051/0004-6361/201016103 |arxiv=1110.3054 |bibcode=2012A&A...537A..78B }}{{open access}}</ref><ref name="Hajdukovic">{{cite journal |first=D. S. |last=Hajduković |s2cid=119257686 |doi=10.1007/s10509-012-0992-y |title=Quantum vacuum and virtual gravitational dipoles: the solution to the dark energy problem? |journal=Astrophysics and Space Science |volume=339 |issue=1 |pages=1–5 |date=2012 |arxiv=1201.4594 |bibcode=2012Ap&SS.339....1H |url=https://cds.cern.ch/record/1418593}}</ref><ref name="villata13">{{cite journal |first=M. |last=Villata |s2cid=119288465 |doi=10.1007/s10509-013-1388-3 |title=On the nature of dark energy: the lattice Universe |date=2013 |journal=Astrophysics and Space Science |volume=345 |issue=1 |pages=1–9 |arxiv=1302.3515 |bibcode=2013Ap&SS.345....1V }}</ref> or a deviation of the gravitational laws from general relativity, such as ], meaning that gravitons themselves have mass.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://amp.theguardian.com/science/2020/jan/25/has-physicists-gravity-theory-solved-impossible-dark-energy-riddle|title=Has physicist's gravity theory solved 'impossible' dark energy riddle?|last=Devlin|first=Hannah|work=The Guardian|date=January 25, 2020}}</ref> The measurement of the speed of gravity with the gravitational wave event ] ruled out many modified gravity theories as alternative explanations to dark energy.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Challenges to Self-Acceleration in Modified Gravity from Gravitational Waves and Large-Scale Structure |journal=Physics Letters B |volume=765 |issue=382 |pages=382–385 |first1=Lucas |last1=Lombriser |first2=Nelson |last2=Lima |s2cid=118486016 |arxiv=1602.07670 |year=2017 |doi=10.1016/j.physletb.2016.12.048|bibcode=2017PhLB..765..382L }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://phys.org/news/2017-02-quest-riddle-einstein-theory.html |title=Quest to settle riddle over Einstein's theory may soon be over |date=February 10, 2017 |access-date=October 29, 2017 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://arstechnica.co.uk/science/2017/02/theoretical-battle-dark-energy-vs-modified-gravity/ |title=Theoretical battle: Dark energy vs. modified gravity |date=February 25, 2017 |access-date=October 27, 2017 |website=]}}</ref> Another type of model, the backreaction conjecture,<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1088/0264-9381/28/16/164008 |volume=28 |issue=16 |title=Backreaction: directions of progress |journal=Classical and Quantum Gravity |pages=164008 |arxiv=1102.0408 |bibcode=2011CQGra..28p4008R |last1=Räsänen |first1=Syksy |last2=Ratra |first2=Bharat |s2cid=118485681 |year=2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1146/annurev.nucl.012809.104435| doi-access=free |volume=62 |issue=1 |title=Backreaction in Late-Time Cosmology |journal=] |pages=57–79 |arxiv=1112.5335 |bibcode=2012ARNPS..62...57B |last1=Buchert |first1=Thomas |last2=Räsänen |first2=Syksy |s2cid=118798287 |year=2012 }}</ref> was proposed by cosmologist Syksy Räsänen:<ref name="NS2007">{{cite news |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn11498-is-dark-energy-an-illusion/ |title=Is dark energy an illusion? |date=2007 |newspaper=]}}</ref> the rate of expansion is not homogenous, but Earth is in a region where expansion is faster than the background. Inhomogeneities in the early universe cause the formation of walls and bubbles, where the inside of a bubble has less matter than on average. According to general relativity, space is less curved than on the walls, and thus appears to have more volume and a higher expansion rate. In the denser regions, the expansion is slowed by a higher gravitational attraction. Therefore, the inward collapse of the denser regions looks the same as an accelerating expansion of the bubbles, leading us to conclude that the universe is undergoing an accelerated expansion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.space.com/23025-doctor-who-tardis-regions-universe.html |title=A Cosmic 'Tardis': What the Universe Has In Common with 'Doctor Who' |website=Space.com|date=October 2013 }}</ref> The benefit is that it does not require any new physics such as dark energy. Räsänen does not consider the model likely, but without any falsification, it must remain a possibility. It would require rather large density fluctuations (20%) to work.<ref name="NS2007" /> | |||
A final possibility is that dark energy is an illusion caused by some bias in measurements. For example, if we are located in an emptier-than-average region of space, the observed cosmic expansion rate could be mistaken for a variation in time, or acceleration.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Wiltshire |first=David L. |s2cid=1152275 |year=2007 |title=Exact Solution to the Averaging Problem in Cosmology |journal=Physical Review Letters |volume=99 |issue=25 |page=251101 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.251101 |pmid=18233512 |bibcode=2007PhRvL..99y1101W |arxiv=0709.0732 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Ishak, Mustapha |author2=Richardson, James |author3=Garred, David |author4=Whittington, Delilah |author5=Nwankwo, Anthony |author6=Sussman, Roberto |s2cid=118801032 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevD.78.123531 |journal=Physical Review D |title=Dark Energy or Apparent Acceleration Due to a Relativistic Cosmological Model More Complex than FLRW? |volume=78 |issue=12 |pages=123531 |year=2008 |arxiv=0708.2943 |bibcode=2008PhRvD..78l3531I}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Mattsson, Teppo |s2cid=14226736 |doi=10.1007/s10714-009-0873-z |journal=General Relativity and Gravitation |volume=42 |title=Dark energy as a mirage |issue=3 |pages=567–599 |year=2010 |arxiv=0711.4264 |bibcode=2010GReGr..42..567M}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Clifton |first=Timothy |author2=Ferreira, Pedro |date=April 2009 |title=Does Dark Energy Really Exist? |journal=Scientific American |volume=300 |issue=4 |pages=48–55 |doi=10.1038/scientificamerican0409-48 |pmid=19363920 |bibcode=2009SciAm.300d..48C }}</ref> A different approach uses a cosmological extension of the ] to show how space might appear to be expanding more rapidly in the voids surrounding our local cluster. While weak, such effects considered cumulatively over billions of years could become significant, creating the illusion of cosmic acceleration, and making it appear as if we live in a ].<ref>{{Cite journal |doi=10.1103/PhysRevD.78.084032 |arxiv=0809.1183 |title=Cosmological equivalence principle and the weak-field limit |journal=Physical Review D |volume=78 |issue=8 |pages=084032 |year=2008 |last1=Wiltshire |first1=D. |s2cid=53709630 |bibcode=2008PhRvD..78h4032W}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Gray |first=Stuart |title=Dark questions remain over dark energy |url=http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/12/09/2765371.htm |publisher=ABC Science Australia |access-date=27 January 2013|date=2009-12-08 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Merali |first=Zeeya |title=Is Einstein's Greatest Work All Wrong—Because He Didn't Go Far Enough? |url=http://discovermagazine.com/2012/mar/09-is-einsteins-greatest-work-wrong-didnt-go-far |access-date=27 January 2013 |newspaper=Discover magazine |date=March 2012}}</ref> Yet other possibilities are that the accelerated expansion of the universe is an illusion caused by the relative motion of us to the rest of the universe,<ref>Wolchover, Natalie (27 September 2011) , NBC News</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Tsagas |first=Christos G. |s2cid=119179171 |title=Peculiar motions, accelerated expansion, and the cosmological axis |journal=Physical Review D |year=2011 |volume=84 |issue=6 |pages=063503 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevD.84.063503 |bibcode=2011PhRvD..84f3503T |arxiv=1107.4045 }}</ref> or that the supernova sample size used wasn't large enough.<ref name="sarkar">{{cite journal |last1=Nielsen |first1=J. T. |last2=Guffanti |first2=A. |last3=Sarkar |first3=S. |year=2016 |title=Marginal evidence for cosmic acceleration from Type Ia supernovae |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=6 |issue=35596 |page=35596 |arxiv=1506.01354 |bibcode=2016NatSR...635596N |doi=10.1038/srep35596 |pmc=5073293 |pmid=27767125}}</ref><ref name="ox.ac.uk">{{cite web |author=Gillespie |first=Stuart |date=21 October 2016 |title=The universe is expanding at an accelerating rate – or is it? |url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/science-blog/universe-expanding-accelerating-rate-–-or-it |website=University of Oxford – News & Events – Science Blog (])}}</ref> | |||
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==Consequences for the universe== | |||
{{See also|Future of an expanding universe}} | |||
As the universe expands, the density of radiation and ordinary ] declines more quickly than the density of ] (see ]) and, eventually, dark energy dominates. Specifically, when the scale of the universe doubles, the density of matter is reduced by a factor of 8, but the density of dark energy is nearly unchanged (it is exactly constant if the dark energy is the ]).<ref name=Ryden/> | |||
In models where dark energy is the cosmological constant, the universe will expand exponentially with time in the far future, coming closer and closer to a ]. This will eventually lead to all evidence for the Big Bang disappearing, as the cosmic microwave background is redshifted to lower intensities and longer wavelengths. Eventually, its frequency will be low enough that it will be absorbed by the ], and so be screened from any observer within the galaxy. This will occur when the universe is less than 50 times its existing age, leading to the end of any life as the distant universe turns dark.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Krauss |first1=Lawrence M. |last2=Scherrer |first2=Robert J. |s2cid=123442313 |title=The return of a static universe and the end of cosmology |journal=General Relativity and Gravitation |year=2007 |volume=39 |issue=10 |pages=1545–1550 |doi=10.1007/s10714-007-0472-9 |arxiv=0704.0221 |bibcode=2007GReGr..39.1545K }}</ref> | |||
A constantly expanding universe with a non-zero cosmological constant has mass density decreasing over time. Under such a scenario, it is understood that all matter will ionize and disintegrate into isolated stable particles such as ] and ], with all complex structures dissipating.<ref>], "The End of the Universe", 7 February 2016. http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/end.html</ref> This is called "]" (or the ]). | |||
Alternatives for the ] include the ] mentioned above, a ], or a ]. | |||
==See also==<!-- Please respect alphabetical order --> | |||
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==Notes== | |||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
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Observations show that the expansion of the universe is accelerating, such that the velocity at which a distant galaxy recedes from the observer is continuously increasing with time. The accelerated expansion of the universe was discovered in 1998 by two independent projects, the Supernova Cosmology Project and the High-Z Supernova Search Team, which used distant type Ia supernovae to measure the acceleration. The idea was that as type Ia supernovae have almost the same intrinsic brightness (a standard candle), and since objects that are further away appear dimmer, the observed brightness of these supernovae can be used to measure the distance to them. The distance can then be compared to the supernovae's cosmological redshift, which measures how much the universe has expanded since the supernova occurred; the Hubble law established that the further away an object is, the faster it is receding. The unexpected result was that objects in the universe are moving away from one another at an accelerating rate. Cosmologists at the time expected that recession velocity would always be decelerating, due to the gravitational attraction of the matter in the universe. Three members of these two groups have subsequently been awarded Nobel Prizes for their discovery. Confirmatory evidence has been found in baryon acoustic oscillations, and in analyses of the clustering of galaxies.
The accelerated expansion of the universe is thought to have begun since the universe entered its dark-energy-dominated era roughly 5 billion years ago. Within the framework of general relativity, an accelerated expansion can be accounted for by a positive value of the cosmological constant Λ, equivalent to the presence of a positive vacuum energy, dubbed "dark energy". While there are alternative possible explanations, the description assuming dark energy (positive Λ) is used in the standard model of cosmology, which also includes cold dark matter (CDM) and is known as the Lambda-CDM model.
Background
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(billion years ago) |
In the decades since the detection of cosmic microwave background (CMB) in 1965, the Big Bang model has become the most accepted model explaining the evolution of our universe. The Friedmann equation defines how the energy in the universe drives its expansion.
where κ represents the curvature of the universe, a(t) is the scale factor, ρ is the total energy density of the universe, and H is the Hubble parameter.
The critical density is defined as
and the density parameter
The Hubble parameter can then be rewritten as
where the four currently hypothesized contributors to the energy density of the universe are curvature, matter, radiation and dark energy. Each of the components decreases with the expansion of the universe (increasing scale factor), except perhaps the dark energy term. It is the values of these cosmological parameters which physicists use to determine the acceleration of the universe.
The acceleration equation describes the evolution of the scale factor with time
where the pressure P is defined by the cosmological model chosen. (see explanatory models)
Physicists at one time were so assured of the deceleration of the universe's expansion that they introduced a so-called deceleration parameter q0. Recent observations indicate this deceleration parameter is negative.
Relation to inflation
According to the theory of cosmic inflation, the very early universe underwent a period of very rapid, quasi-exponential expansion. While the time-scale for this period of expansion was far shorter than that of the existing expansion, this was a period of accelerated expansion with some similarities to the current epoch.
Technical definition
The definition of "accelerating expansion" is that the second time derivative of the cosmic scale factor, , is positive, which is equivalent to the deceleration parameter, , being negative. However, note this does not imply that the Hubble parameter is increasing with time. Since the Hubble parameter is defined as , it follows from the definitions that the derivative of the Hubble parameter is given by
so the Hubble parameter is decreasing with time unless . Observations prefer , which implies that is positive but is negative. Essentially, this implies that the cosmic recession velocity of any one particular galaxy is increasing with time, but its velocity/distance ratio is still decreasing; thus different galaxies expanding across a sphere of fixed radius cross the sphere more slowly at later times.
It is seen from above that the case of "zero acceleration/deceleration" corresponds to is a linear function of , , , and .
Evidence for acceleration
The rate of expansion of the universe can be analyzed using the magnitude-redshift relationship of astronomical objects using standard candles, or their distance-redshift relationship using standard rulers. Also a factor is the growth of large-scale structure, finding that the observed values of the cosmological parameters are best described by models which include an accelerating expansion.
Supernova observation
In 1998, the first evidence for acceleration came from the observation of Type Ia supernovae, which are exploding white dwarf stars that have exceeded their stability limit. Because they all have similar masses, their intrinsic luminosity can be standardized. Repeated imaging of selected areas of the sky is used to discover the supernovae, then follow-up observations give their peak brightness, which is converted into a quantity known as luminosity distance (see distance measures in cosmology for details). Spectral lines of their light can be used to determine their redshift.
For supernovae at redshift less than around 0.1, or light travel time less than 10 percent of the age of the universe, this gives a nearly linear distance–redshift relation due to Hubble's law. At larger distances, since the expansion rate of the universe has changed over time, the distance-redshift relation deviates from linearity, and this deviation depends on how the expansion rate has changed over time. The full calculation requires computer integration of the Friedmann equation, but a simple derivation can be given as follows: the redshift z directly gives the cosmic scale factor at the time the supernova exploded.
So a supernova with a measured redshift z = 0.5 implies the universe was 1/1 + 0.5 = 2/3 of its present size when the supernova exploded. In the case of accelerated expansion, is positive; therefore, was smaller in the past than today. Thus, an accelerating universe took a longer time to expand from 2/3 to 1 times its present size, compared to a non-accelerating universe with constant and the same present-day value of the Hubble constant. This results in a larger light-travel time, larger distance and fainter supernovae, which corresponds to the actual observations. Adam Riess et al. found that "the distances of the high-redshift SNe Ia were, on average, 10% to 15% further than expected in a low mass density ΩM = 0.2 universe without a cosmological constant". This means that the measured high-redshift distances were too large, compared to nearby ones, for a decelerating universe.
Several researchers have questioned the majority opinion on the acceleration or the assumption of the "cosmological principle" (that the universe is homogeneous and isotropic). For example, a 2019 paper analyzed the Joint Light-curve Analysis catalog of Type Ia supernovas, containing ten times as many supernova as were used in the 1998 analyses, and concluded that there was little evidence for a "monopole", that is, for an isotropic acceleration in all directions. See also the section on Alternate theories below.
Baryon acoustic oscillations
Main article: Baryon acoustic oscillationsIn the early universe before recombination and decoupling took place, photons and matter existed in a primordial plasma. Points of higher density in the photon-baryon plasma would contract, being compressed by gravity until the pressure became too large and they expanded again. This contraction and expansion created vibrations in the plasma analogous to sound waves. Since dark matter only interacts gravitationally, it stayed at the centre of the sound wave, the origin of the original overdensity. When decoupling occurred, approximately 380,000 years after the Big Bang, photons separated from matter and were able to stream freely through the universe, creating the cosmic microwave background as we know it. This left shells of baryonic matter at a fixed radius from the overdensities of dark matter, a distance known as the sound horizon. As time passed and the universe expanded, it was at these inhomogeneities of matter density where galaxies started to form. So by looking at the distances at which galaxies at different redshifts tend to cluster, it is possible to determine a standard angular diameter distance and use that to compare to the distances predicted by different cosmological models.
Peaks have been found in the correlation function (the probability that two galaxies will be a certain distance apart) at 100 h Mpc, (where h is the dimensionless Hubble constant) indicating that this is the size of the sound horizon today, and by comparing this to the sound horizon at the time of decoupling (using the CMB), we can confirm the accelerated expansion of the universe.
Clusters of galaxies
Measuring the mass functions of galaxy clusters, which describe the number density of the clusters above a threshold mass, also provides evidence for dark energy . By comparing these mass functions at high and low redshifts to those predicted by different cosmological models, values for w and Ωm are obtained which confirm a low matter density and a non-zero amount of dark energy.
Age of the universe
See also: Age of the universeGiven a cosmological model with certain values of the cosmological density parameters, it is possible to integrate the Friedmann equations and derive the age of the universe.
By comparing this to actual measured values of the cosmological parameters, we can confirm the validity of a model which is accelerating now, and had a slower expansion in the past.
Gravitational waves as standard sirens
Recent discoveries of gravitational waves through LIGO and VIRGO not only confirmed Einstein's predictions but also opened a new window into the universe. These gravitational waves can work as sort of standard sirens to measure the expansion rate of the universe. Abbot et al. 2017 measured the Hubble constant value to be approximately 70 kilometres per second per megaparsec. The amplitudes of the strain 'h' is dependent on the masses of the objects causing waves, distances from observation point and gravitational waves detection frequencies. The associated distance measures are dependent on the cosmological parameters like the Hubble Constant for nearby objects and will be dependent on other cosmological parameters like the dark energy density, matter density, etc. for distant sources.
Explanatory models
Dark energy
Main article: Dark energyThe most important property of dark energy is that it has negative pressure (repulsive action) which is distributed relatively homogeneously in space.
where c is the speed of light and ρ is the energy density. Different theories of dark energy suggest different values of w, with w < −1/3 for cosmic acceleration (this leads to a positive value of ä in the acceleration equation above).
The simplest explanation for dark energy is that it is a cosmological constant or vacuum energy; in this case w = −1. This leads to the Lambda-CDM model, which has generally been known as the Standard Model of Cosmology from 2003 through the present, since it is the simplest model in good agreement with a variety of recent observations. Riess et al. found that their results from supernova observations favoured expanding models with positive cosmological constant (Ωλ > 0) and an accelerated expansion (q0 < 0).
Phantom energy
Main article: Phantom energyThese observations allow the possibility of a cosmological model containing a dark energy component with equation of state w < −1. This phantom energy density would become infinite in finite time, causing such a huge gravitational repulsion that the universe would lose all structure and end in a Big Rip. For example, for w = −3/2 and H0 =70 km·s·Mpc, the time remaining before the universe ends in this Big Rip is 22 billion years.
Alternative theories
See also: Dark energy § Theories of dark energyThere are many alternative explanations for the accelerating universe. Some examples are quintessence, a proposed form of dark energy with a non-constant state equation, whose density decreases with time. A negative mass cosmology does not assume that the mass density of the universe is positive (as is done in supernova observations), and instead finds a negative cosmological constant. Occam's razor also suggests that this is the 'more parsimonious hypothesis'. Dark fluid is an alternative explanation for accelerating expansion which attempts to unite dark matter and dark energy into a single framework. Alternatively, some authors have argued that the accelerated expansion of the universe could be due to a repulsive gravitational interaction of antimatter or a deviation of the gravitational laws from general relativity, such as massive gravity, meaning that gravitons themselves have mass. The measurement of the speed of gravity with the gravitational wave event GW170817 ruled out many modified gravity theories as alternative explanations to dark energy. Another type of model, the backreaction conjecture, was proposed by cosmologist Syksy Räsänen: the rate of expansion is not homogenous, but Earth is in a region where expansion is faster than the background. Inhomogeneities in the early universe cause the formation of walls and bubbles, where the inside of a bubble has less matter than on average. According to general relativity, space is less curved than on the walls, and thus appears to have more volume and a higher expansion rate. In the denser regions, the expansion is slowed by a higher gravitational attraction. Therefore, the inward collapse of the denser regions looks the same as an accelerating expansion of the bubbles, leading us to conclude that the universe is undergoing an accelerated expansion. The benefit is that it does not require any new physics such as dark energy. Räsänen does not consider the model likely, but without any falsification, it must remain a possibility. It would require rather large density fluctuations (20%) to work.
A final possibility is that dark energy is an illusion caused by some bias in measurements. For example, if we are located in an emptier-than-average region of space, the observed cosmic expansion rate could be mistaken for a variation in time, or acceleration. A different approach uses a cosmological extension of the equivalence principle to show how space might appear to be expanding more rapidly in the voids surrounding our local cluster. While weak, such effects considered cumulatively over billions of years could become significant, creating the illusion of cosmic acceleration, and making it appear as if we live in a Hubble bubble. Yet other possibilities are that the accelerated expansion of the universe is an illusion caused by the relative motion of us to the rest of the universe, or that the supernova sample size used wasn't large enough.
Consequences for the universe
See also: Future of an expanding universeAs the universe expands, the density of radiation and ordinary dark matter declines more quickly than the density of dark energy (see equation of state) and, eventually, dark energy dominates. Specifically, when the scale of the universe doubles, the density of matter is reduced by a factor of 8, but the density of dark energy is nearly unchanged (it is exactly constant if the dark energy is the cosmological constant).
In models where dark energy is the cosmological constant, the universe will expand exponentially with time in the far future, coming closer and closer to a de Sitter universe. This will eventually lead to all evidence for the Big Bang disappearing, as the cosmic microwave background is redshifted to lower intensities and longer wavelengths. Eventually, its frequency will be low enough that it will be absorbed by the interstellar medium, and so be screened from any observer within the galaxy. This will occur when the universe is less than 50 times its existing age, leading to the end of any life as the distant universe turns dark.
A constantly expanding universe with a non-zero cosmological constant has mass density decreasing over time. Under such a scenario, it is understood that all matter will ionize and disintegrate into isolated stable particles such as electrons and neutrinos, with all complex structures dissipating. This is called "heat death of the universe" (or the Big Freeze).
Alternatives for the ultimate fate of the universe include the Big Rip mentioned above, a Big Bounce, or a Big Crunch.
See also
- Cosmological constant
- Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker metric
- High-Z Supernova Search Team
- Lambda-CDM model
- List of multiple discoveries
- Expansion of the universe
- Scale factor (cosmology)
- Supernova Cosmology Project
- Hubble constant
Notes
- Frieman, Turner & Huterer (2008) p. 6: "The Universe has gone through three distinct eras: radiation-dominated, z ≳ 3000; matter-dominated, 3000 ≳ z ≳ 0.5; and dark-energy-dominated, z ≲ 0.5. The evolution of the scale factor is controlled by the dominant energy form: a(t) ∝ t (for constant w). During the radiation-dominated era, a(t) ∝ t; during the matter-dominated era, a(t) ∝ t; and for the dark energy-dominated era, assuming w = −1, asymptotically a(t) ∝ exp(Ht)."
p. 44: "Taken together, all the current data provide strong evidence for the existence of dark energy; they constrain the fraction of critical density contributed by dark energy, 0.76 ± 0.02, and the equation-of-state parameter, w ≈ −1 ± 0.1 (stat) ± 0.1 (sys), assuming that w is constant. This implies that the Universe began accelerating at redshift z ~ 0.4 and age t ~ 10 Gyr. These results are robust – data from any one method can be removed without compromising the constraints – and they are not substantially weakened by dropping the assumption of spatial flatness."
References
- Overbye, Dennis (20 February 2017). "Cosmos Controversy: The Universe Is Expanding, but How Fast?". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- Scharping, Nathaniel (18 October 2017). "Gravitational Waves Show How Fast The Universe is Expanding". Astronomy. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
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